I was very excited about my next adventure on this road trip – camping in the Redwoods in my hammock tent. On my way, I drove through the Northern California desert. There’s a lot of desert to drive through before you get to civilization. I got run off the road for having a “Love Conquers Hate” poster in my car. It had the names of all of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub victims on it. I don’t understand how someone could be so hateful that they become violent towards a complete stranger for having a memorial poster in their car. Just like I don’t understand how someone could initiate a mass shooting to begin with. It just goes to show there are hateful bigots everywhere, even in California.

Aside from the haters, being off the grid for a few days was very liberating. But coming back to civilization was very stressful. I stayed in Redding, CA for a few days to rest before continuing my adventures. That was before I learned that off the grid adventures were more relaxing and energizing than anything in town.

My campsite was somewhere in the Redwoods, far from cell phone reception and civilization. I made sure to stop by REI to get hammock extension straps to be sure the straps were long enough for the trees. There were lots of other people at the campsite, and they were all very friendly, though none of them spoke English. They asked me if I came here to work, and it took me a long time to figure out what they were talking about. What jobs could there possibly be that are off the grid in the forest? Eventually, I figured out that they were all there from other countries to trim marijuana leaves. Apparently, it pays well.

I stayed there three nights. I spent the days reading books, exploring the forest, and going on hikes. I found the lookout point on the main trail, but got lost on the way back to the campground. It was starting to get dark. I wondered if they had bears and wildcats. Luckily, I made it out of the woods before finding out.

The next stop was Monterey. I stayed in a very welcoming hostel just a block from the coast. I explored the beautiful beaches and enjoyed the nice cool weather. I got a massage on the pier, and went on a tour of an old lighthouse. It was absolutely gorgeous. The full Redwoods camping trip and Monterey photo album is on my facebook page.

I fell in love with the coast and decided to take the Pacific Coast Highway the rest of the way. The roads were narrow, winding, and on the side of a cliff. But there were spectacular views of the ocean. Here is a picture from the Pacific Coast Highway, just outside of Big Sur. You can also check out the rest of my Pacific Coast Highway pictures. Check out the waves crashing at Monterey Bay:

My next stop was at a friend’s house outside of Los Angeles. It was good to take a break from the road for a bit. I got a chance to get an oil change on my car, as well as have some job interviews over the phone.

He let me experiment in his kitchen with homemade dog treats. His dog loved the treats, but unfortunately they got moldy a few days later. We also went to an awesome local food truck rally. Over the weekend, we hiked to the place where the TV show MASH was filmed. Thanks, Marcos!

I had originally planned on heading straight to Kanab, Utah. But I got a late start on the road. I decided to take an unplanned trip to Las Vegas, NV. I stopped for gas just outside of town. Guess what the gas stations have? Slot machines! Inside the gas station! I was amazed, but gambling isn’t my thing so I did not partake.

I found a hostel on The Strip in Las Vegas for $30/night. It turned out to be a party hostel (no surprise there!). There was a huge fenced in backyard with a bar area. Everyone met up and went on a bar-hopping excursion together, so I didn’t have to deal with any unwanted drunken shenanigans. I found an Arepa restaurant not too far from the hostel, so I walked down and ordered some food. When I sat down, I looked out the window and saw The Stratosphere!

The last time I was in Las Vegas, I did not know you could pay $100 to jump out of The Stratosphere at 855 feet high! Ever since I found out, I wanted to go back and jump. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford it this time, but I at least wanted to see it up close. After dinner, I went over to the base of The Stratosphere and watched two people jump out. I was very excited, and hope that next time it will be me jumping out of The Stratosphere!